Ballad III: The Rising in the North

Listen, lively lordings all,Lithe and listen unto mee,And I will sing of a noble earle,The noblest earle in the north countrie.

Earle Percy is into his garden gone,And after him walkes his faire ladìe:I heard a bird sing in mine eare,That I must either fight, or flee.

Now heaven forefend, my dearest lord,That ever such harm should hap to thee:But goe to London to the court,And faire fall truth and honestìe.

Now nay, now nay, my ladye gay,Alas! thy counsell suits not mee;Mine enemies prevail so fast,That at the court I may not bee.

O goe to the court yet, good my lord,And take thy gallant men with thee:If any dare to doe you wrong,Then your warrant they may bee.

Now nay, now nay, thou lady faire,The court is full of subtiltìe;And if I goe to the court, lady,Never more I may thee see.

Yet goe to the court, my lord, she sayes,And I myselfe will ryde wi' thee:At court then for my dearest lord,His faithfull borrowe I will bee

Now nay, now nay, my lady deare;Far lever had I lose my life,Than leave among my cruell foesMy love in jeopardy and strife.

But come thou hither, my little foot-page,Come thou hither unto mee,To maister Norton thou must goeIn all the haste that ever may bee.

Commend me to that gentlemàn,And beare this letter here fro mee;And say that earnestly I praye,He will ryde in my companìe.

One while the little foot-page went,And another while he ran;Untill he came to his journeys end,The little foot-page never blan.

When to that gentleman he came,Down he kneeled on his knee;And tooke the letter betwixt his hands,And lett the gentleman it see.

And when the letter it was reddAffore that goodlye companye,I wis, if you the truthe wold know,There was many a weeping eye.

He sayd, Come thither, Christopher Norton,A gallant youth thou seemst to bee;What doest thou counsell me, my sonne,Now that good erle's in jeopardy?

Father, my counselle's fair and free;That erle he is a noble lord,And whatsoever to him you hight,I wold not have you breake your word.

Gramercy, Christopher, my sonne,Thy counsell well it liketh mee,And if we speed and scape with life,Well advanced shalt thou bee.

Come you hither, my nine good sonnes,Gallant men I trowe you bee:How many of you, my children deare,Will stand by that good erle and mee?

Eight of them did answer make,Eight of them spake hastilie,O father, till the daye we dyeWe'll stand by that good erle and thee.

Gramercy now, my children deare,You showe yourselves right bold and brave;And whethersoe'er I live or dye,A fathers blessing you shal have.

But what sayst thou, O Francis Norton,Thou art mine eldest sonn and heire:Somewhat lyes brooding in thy breast;Whatever it bee, to mee declare.

Father, you are an aged man,Your head is white, your bearde is gray;It were a shame at these your yearesFor you to ryse in such a fray.

Now fye upon thee, coward Francis,Thou never learnedst this of mee:When thou wert yong and tender of age,Why did I make soe much of thee?

But, father, I will wend with you,Unarm'd and naked will I bee;And he that strikes against the crowne,Ever an ill death may he dee.

Then rose that reverend gentleman,And with him came a goodlye bandTo join with the brave Erle Percy,And all the flower o' Northumberland.

With them the noble Nevill came,The erle of Westmorland was hee:At Wetherbye they mustred their host,Thirteen thousand faire to see.

Lord Westmorland his ancyent raisde,The Dun Bull he rays'd on hye,And three Dogs with golden collarsWere there sett out most royallye.

Erle Percy there his ancyent spred,The Halfe-Moone shining all soe faire:The Nortons ancyent had the crosse,And the five wounds our Lord did beare.

Then Sir George Bowes he straitwaye rose,After them some spoyle to make:Those noble erles turn'd backe againe,And aye they vowed that knight to take.

The baron he to his castle fled,To Barnard castle then fled hee.The uttermost walles were eathe to win,The earles have wonne them presentlie.

The uttermost walles were lime and bricke;But thoughe they won them soon anone,Long e'er they wan the innermost walles,For they were cut in rocke of stone.

Then newes unto leeve London cameIn all the speede that ever might bee,And word is brought to our royall queeneOf the rysing in the North countrie.

Her grace she turned her round about,And like a royall queene shee swore,I will ordayne them such a breakfast,As never was in the North before.

Shee caus'd thirty thousand men berays'd,With horse and harneis faire to see;She caused thirty thousand men be raised,To take the earles i'th' North countrie.

Wi' them the false Erle Warwick went,Th' erle Sussex and the lord Hunsdèn;Untill they to Yorke castle cameI wiss, they never stint ne blan.

Now spred thy ancyent, Westmorland,Thy dun bull faine would we spye:And thou, the Erle o' Northumberland,Now rayse thy half moone up on hye.

But the dun bulle is fled and gone,And the halfe moone vanished away:The Erles, though they were brave and bold,Against soe many could not stay.

Thee, Norton, wi' thine eight good sonnes,They doom'd to dye, alas! for ruth!Thy reverend lockes thee could not save,Nor them their faire and blooming youthe.

Wi' them full many a gallant wightThey cruellye bereav'd of life:And many a childe made fatherlesse,And widowed many a tender wife.

Listen liuely lordings all,and all that beene this place within!if youle giue eare vnto my songe,I will tell you how this geere did begin.

It was the good Erle of Westmorlande,a noble Erle was called hee;and he wrought treason against the crowne;alas, itt was the more pittye!

and soe itt was the Erle of Northumberland,another good Noble Erle was hee,they tooken both vpon on part,against their crowne they wolden bee.

Earle Pearcy is into his garden gone,and after walks his awne ladye;"I heare a bird sing in my earethat I must either ffight or fflee."

"God fforbidd," shee sayd, "good my Lord,that euer soe that it shalbee!but goe to London to the court,and faire ffall truth and honestye!"

"but nay, now nay, my Ladye gay,that euer it shold soe bee;my treason is knowen well enoughe;att the court I must not bee."

"but goe to the Court! yet, good my Lord,take men enowe with thee;if any man will doe you wronge,your warrant they may bee."

"but nay, now nay, my Lady gay,for soe itt must not bee;If I goe to the court, Ladye,death will strike me, and I must dye."

"but goe to the Court! yett, [good] my Lord,I my-selfe will ryde with thee;if any man will doe you wronge,your borrow I shalbee."

"but nay, now nay, my Lady gay,for soe it must not bee;for if I goe to the Court, Ladye,thou must me neuer see.

"but come hither, thou litle footpage,come thou hither vnto mee,for thou shalt goe a Message to Master Nortonin all the hast that euer may bee:

"comend me to that gentleman;bring him here this letter from mee,and say, 'I pray him earnestlyethat hee will ryde in my companye.'"

but one while the foote page went,another while he rann;vntill he came to Master Norton,the ffoot page neuer blanne;

and when he came to Master Norttonhe kneeled on his knee,and tooke the letter betwixt his hands,and lett the gentleman it see.

and when the letter itt was readeaffore all his companye,I-wis, if you wold know the truth,there was many a weeping eye.

he said, "come hither, Kester Nortton,a ffine ffellow thou seemes to bee;some good councell, Kester Nortton,this day doe thou giue to mee."

"Marry, Ile giue you councell, ffather,if youle take councell att me,that if you haue spoken the word, father,that backe againe you doe not flee."

"god amercy, Christopher Nortton,I say, god amercye!if I doe liue and scape with liffe,well advanced shalt thou bee;

"but come you hither, my nine good sonnes,in mens estate I thinke you bee;how many of you, my children deare,on my part that wilbe?"

but eight of them did answer soone,and spake ffull hastilye,sayes "we willbe on your part, ffather,till the day that we doe dye."

"but god amercy, my children deare,and euer I say god amercy!and yett my blessing you shall have,whether-so euer I liue or dye.

"but what sayst thou, thou ffrancis Nortton,mine eldest sonne and mine heyre trulye?some good councell, ffrancis Nortton,this day thou giue to me."

"but I will giue you councell, ffather,if you will take councell att mee;for if you wold take my councell, father,against the crowne you shold not bee."

"but ffye vpon thee, ffrancis Nortton!I say ffye vpon thee!when thou was younge and tender of ageI made ffull much of thee."

"but your head is white, ffather," he sayes,"and your beard is wonderous gray;itt were shame ffor your countryeif you shold rise and fflee away."

"but ffye vpon thee, thou coward ffrancis!thou neuer tookest that of mee!when thou was younge and tender of ageI made too much of thee."

"but I will goe with you, father," Quoth hee;"like a naked man will I bee;he that strikes the first stroake against the crowne,an ill death may hee dye!"

but then rose vpp Master Nortton that Esquierwith him a ffull great companye;and then the Erles they comen downeto ryde in his companye.

att whethersbye thé mustered their menvpon a ffull fayre day;13000 there were seeneto stand in battel ray.

the Erle of Westmoreland, he had in his ancyentthe Dume bull in sight most hye,and 3 doggs with golden collerswere sett out royallye.

the Erle of Northumberland, he had in his ancyentthe halfe moone in sight soe hye,as the Lord was crucifyed on the crosse,and sett forthe pleasantlye.

and after them did rise good Sir George Bowes,after them a spoyle to make;the Erles returned backe againe,thought euer that Knight to take

this Barron did take a Castle then,was made of lime and stone;the vttermost walls were ese to be woon;the Erles haue woon them anon;

but tho they woone the vttermost wallsquickly and anon,the innermost walles thé cold not winn,thé were made of a rocke of stone.

but newes itt came to leeue Londonin all they speede that euer might bee;and word it came to our royall Queeneof all the rebells in the north countrye.

shee turned her grace then once about,and like a royall Queene shee sware,sayes, "I will ordaine them such a breake-fastas was not in the North this 1000 yeere!"

shee caused 30000 men to be madewith horsse and harneis all quicklye;and shee caused 30000 men to be madeto take the rebells in the North countrye.

they took with them the false Erle of Warwicke,soe did they many another man;vntill they came to yorke Castle,I-wis they neuer stinted nor blan.

"spread thy ancyent, Erle of Westmoreland!The halfe moone ffaine wold wee see!"but the halfe moone is fled and gone,and the Dun bull vanished awaye;and ffrancis Nortton and his 8 sonnesare ffled away most cowardlye.

Ladds with mony are counted menmen without mony are counted none;but hold your tounge! why say you soe?men wilbe men when mony is gone.

"Sett me up my faire Dun Bull,With Gilden Hornes, hee beares all soe hye."

"... Gernons fyrst named of Brutys bloude of Troy:Which valliantly fyghtynge in the land of PersèAt pointe terrible ayance the miscreants on nyght,An hevynly mystery was schewyd hym, old bookys reherse;In hys scheld did schyne a Mone veryfying her lyght,Which to all the ooste yave a perfytte fyght,To vaynquys his enemys, and to deth them persue;And therefore the Persès [Percies] the Cressant doth renew."